Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yodawn’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yodawn’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; yellow-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in early September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yodawn’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yodawn’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in February, 2002 in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Gold Crest, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,606, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Stephanie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,445, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since January, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yodawn has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yodawn’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yodawn’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped         ray florets.     -   5. Yellow-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in early September in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Gold Crest, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller than plants of         the cultivar Gold Crest.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three to four         days earlier than plants of the cultivar Gold Crest when grown         under natural season conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly smaller         inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Gold Crest.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Gold Crest.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Stephanie, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were slightly smaller than         plants of the cultivar Stephanie.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultiver Stephanie         differed in inflorescence form as plants of the cultivar         Stephanie had daisy-type inflorescences.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Stephanie         differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Stephanie         had white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yoheidi, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,830. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yoheidi in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were slightly smaller and         more mounding than plants of the cultivar Yoheidi.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week later         than plants of the cultivar Yoheidi when grown under natural         season conditions.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were slightly         lighter in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar         Yoheidi.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yellow Urano, disclosed in U.S Plant Pat. No. 13,101. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yellow Urano in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller than plants of         the cultivar Yellow Urano.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer         disc florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar         Yellow Urano.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were longer         lasting than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Yellow         Urano.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproduction of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yodawn’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Yodawn’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canda during the late summer and early fall in an outdoor nursery under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July, 2004. Plants were grown under natural season conditions. During the production of the plants, temperatures ranged from 10° to 32° C. Mesurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yodawn. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Gold Crest, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,606.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Stephanie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,445. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous             decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with             mounded crown. Stems initially upright, then somewhat             outwardly spreading; compact growth habit. Freely branching             with about nine primary branches with lateral branches             potentially forming at every node. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 31 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1.1 cm. Aspect: Upright and             outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 4.25 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Mostly truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses mostly             divergent. Texture, upper surface: Slightly pubescent.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins prominent. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More             green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: More green than 147B. Venation, upper             surface: More green than 147A. Venation, lower surface:             Close to 147B. Petiole length: About 1.5 cm. Petiole             diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146A to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Ray             florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. About twelve             inflorescences per lateral branch.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in early September in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             3 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): More green than 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.3 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.4 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 mm; inconspicious.             Receptacle diameter: About 4.25 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.6 cm.             Width: About 5.5 mm. Corolla tube length: About 2 mm.             Corolla tube diameter: About 1 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Margin:             Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Surface: Concave             to mostly flat. Orientation: Initially upright, then             perpendicular to the peduncle. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 76 in numerous whorls. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 5A. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 5C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 3 mm.             Width, apex: About 1 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm. Number of             disc florets per inflorescence: About five. Color: Immature:             Close to 9A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section and             base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length:             About 6 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:             Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: More             green than 147A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 3.8 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 4.9 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: About 40° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 4 mm. Style             color: Close to 154A. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from     0° to more than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yodawn’, as illustrated and described. 